MQM-P | Pakistan

KARACHI: Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Sunday said construction work around Karachi’s Hill Park had been halted, while the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) demanded that the PPP-led Sindh government investigate the matter. Spread over 62 acres and located in PECHS, Hill Park was built in the early 1960s and is one of the largest parks in the city. In a statement issued on Saturday night, a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) spokesperson said that the construction work was halted a week ago following a public complaint. Confirming this during his media talk on Sunday, Wahab clarified that the KMC had not “auctioned or allotted any land to anyone”. He recalled that a week before Eidul Azha, he received a complaint, following which he sent a KMC team to the area. “I instructed them that if the construction is taking place within the KMC land, then proceed with demolition,” he said. “Not even an inch of KMC land has been allotted,” the mayor reiterated, dismissing MQM-P’s claims of granting permi...

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader and Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has been made a member of the Economic Coordination Committee, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said on Thursday. The statement said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved an increase in the number of ECC members. “Minister for Education Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has been included as a member of the ECC,” the statement said. “I am hopeful that Siddiqui will play an active role as a member of the ECC and contribute fully to the progress and development of the country and the nation,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying. The development comes a day after an MQM-P delegation, led by Siddiqui, called on the premier and presented the party’s proposals for the upcoming budget. According to the PMO, detailed discussions were also held on public welfare and development projects being carried out in Sindh and Karachi under the federal government. The meeting also discussed the overall political situation in the count...

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui on Friday said Pakistan had demonstrated resilience and unity in the face of multiple challenges, adding that the country’s role was now being acknowledged globally.

KARACHI: A 19-year-old medical student, who was the daughter of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MNA, died after being struck by a stray bullet in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, police said on Monday. Speaking to Dawn, Gulshan-i-Iqbal Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Saud said a bullet fired from an unknown direction hit the daughter of MNA Iqbal Mehsud Khan while she was standing on the terrace of her home on Saturday night at 10pm. He said that she sustained critical injuries and was taken to a private hospital in the area. He said that she died during treatment on Sunday afternoon. The SHO said police had fulfilled legal formalities, but added that the family was reluctant to lodge a first information report (FIR) of the incident. On Sunday, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had expressed grief and sorrow at the passing of Khan’s daughter and had extended his condolences to the bereaved family.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday directed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) to hold intra-party elections by October 15. According to a statement issued by the ECP, a three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja gave MQM-P until October to hold intra-party elections. Barrister Farogh Naseem appeared on behalf of the party and sought a 90-day extension. He informed the commission that the party was compiling electoral lists and that the process was in its final stages. The ECP’s Director General Political Finance, Masood Sherwani, briefed the bench, stating that the party was “supposed to hold elections on January 16”. “The date was then extended to March 16, and now they have asked for time till December,” Sherwani said. In the previous hearing held on April 7, ECP had dismissed the MQM-P’s request seeking two months for party chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to appear in the case, after the commission summoned him. During the hearing, Sherw...

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday dismissed the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s request seeking two months for party chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui to appear in a case regarding the holding of intra-party elections. According to a statement issued by the ECP, a three-member commission — headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja — presided over the hearing on Tuesday. Director General Political Finance ECP Masood Sherwani and an MQM-P representative appeared before the commission. Sherwani stated that MQM-P last held intra-party elections on October 16, 2021, and as per MQM-P’s legal framework, the next election should have been held on Oct 16, 2025. He further stated that the ECP directed MQM-P to hold the election by January 16, 2026; however, the party passed a resolution enabling extension of the current tenure by one year. In its resolution, the party had written that the elections would be held before March 16, 2026, Sherwani informed the commission. The MQM-P...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) in Karachi on Thursday and commended the services of former Sindh governor Kamran Tessori, who has been replaced by the PML-N’s Nehal Hashmi, a statement issued by the PM’s Office (PMO) said. Both Tessori and Hashmi also attended the meeting. During the meeting, views were also exchanged on the country’s political situation, the statement said, adding that the PM informed the delegation about Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts and initiatives for establishing peace in the region. The meeting also discussed matters related to the situation in Sindh, including Karachi, and development projects, the statement said. According to the statement, the MQM-P delegation was led by party Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and included Tessori, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Farooq Sattar and others. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Iqbal, Attaullah Tarar, Minister of St...

MQM-P leaders press Shehbaz Sharif for fast-tracking Karachi development package

Karachi - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday urged the government to introduce the 28th Amendment to devolve powers to the grassroots level, describing the move as essential to safeguard the country and transform Pakistan’s feudal democracy into a participatory and inclusive system.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) urged authorities to revisit the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment and make necessary changes to safeguard citizens’ rights and uphold democracy. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, alongside Mustafa Kamal and Farooq Sattar, highlighted what they described as the escalation of long-standing political tensions. “Today, to address this properly, the 28th Constitution Amendment needs to be reviewed, and if necessary, amended. This would allow a decisive resolution to be made urgently.” Siddiqui told reporters. “Pakistan seems prepared, and political parties do not appear to oppose the 28th Amendment with the same intensity,” he added. He added that after the amendment is tabled and cleared by the country’s lawmakers, people should know they did it for the sake of the country. Farooq Sattar also weighed in, emphasising local governance and citizen participation. “Now’s the time to transform Pakistan’s feudal democrac...

President Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday met with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in Karachi, where they discussed the importance of political harmony. This was confirmed in an official statement issued by the Presidency, with sources earlier stating that issues pertaining to Karachi uplift projects, particularly those underway with federal funding and relations between the PPP and MQM-P came under discussion during the meeting. According to the Presidency’s statement, the “importance of national unity, political harmony and continued democracy” was discussed during the meeting. “The president stressed unity and stronger efforts for peace and rule of law,” said a statement posted on X by the Presidency. “The meeting underscored the need for joint efforts to promote peace, stability, and the rule of law in the country,” the statement read. The leaders “exchanged views on the country’s overall internal security situation and matters rel...

Senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Waseem Akhtar on Friday called on the federal government to clarify the reasons behind the removal of Kamran Tessori as the governor of Sindh.

ISLAMABAD - Unlike the past series of clashes between MQM-P and PPP-P, the tension between allies of the government is near to an abnormal level and potentially leading to serious consequences owing to the mysterious indifferent approach of the ruling party.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Sunday assailed the PPP-led Sindh government for moving a resolution in the provincial assembly against the creation of any new province, terming it “unconstitutional”. On Saturday, the Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring Karachi an “inseparable part” of the province and opposing any move that suggested otherwise. Subsequently, on Sunday, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui — flanked by Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal and Senator Faisal Subzwari — addressed a press conference in Karachi on the development. “Yesterday, a resolution against the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by one assembly of Pakistan,” Siddiqui said at the outset of his speech. “A province had carried itself as if it were a separate country,” Siddiqui, also the federal education minister, said while referring to Sindh. The MQM-P leader asked the public and the “intellectuals” of Sindh whether any province could pass a resolution that “went against the Constitution”. “This ...

KARACHI - Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Tuesday demanded Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to remove Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon over the Gul Plaza tragedy.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar on Tuesday urged PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to seek resignations from the Sindh chief minister and the Karachi mayor. A war of words has been ongoing between MQM-P and PPP leaders in the wake of the Gul Plaza inferno, with lawmakers associated with the former party demanding that Karachi be handed over to the Centre. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Sattar termed Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Senior Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab — who he said were close to Bilawal — as his “three naive friends”. “What if a drop scene happens? They are making you sink in a swamp. So we, Karachi’s people, those living in Sindh’s cities, are demanding from you that all three resign,” Sattar said, referring to CM Murad, Memon and Wahab. He remarked that the three leaders had added an enormous “burden” to the PPP’s “ship that could sink it”. “Reduce this burden,” he said, urging Bilawal to demand the r...

HAYDERABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Haider Abbas Rizvi has reiterated the party’s demand for the formation of an inquiry commission by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including members from Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and others, to probe the Gul Plaza inferno. Addressing a press conference on Sunday in Hyderabad, Rizvi said that MQM chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui had also written a letter to the prime minister to seek the formation of an inquiry commission under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017. “This commission must comprise representatives from FIA, IB, ISI, MI, NDMA and other federal bodies to find whether it is an act of subversion or an incident of fire”. He lambasted the Sindh government and Karachi administration for throwing debris of the fire, which also included remains of the deceased, at the Meva Shah ground, saying it would “compromise forensic investigation of the tragedy”. “It looks like evidence is being stolen,...

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Saturday urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to constitute a high-level inquiry commission to hold those accountable whose negligence led to the Gul Plaza inferno. The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, has claimed at least 71 lives and left over 1,100 shops in ruins. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, MQM-P leader Farooq Sattar said the citizens of Karachi had “questions of a very serious nature regarding the responsibilities of the Sindh government in this incident”, as well as those of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and the mayor. He called for an “independent judicial inquiry” into the Gul Plaza tragedy to ensure the truth comes to light. Sattar questioned what the “fear and obstruction” was in setting up a judicial commission. “Incapability, mistake, apathy, shamelessness, impudence — these should be exposed,” Sattar demanded. Sattar further demanded tha...

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal on Thursday called on the federal government to declare Karachi a federal territory by making it the country’s “financial capital”. The remarks come against the backdrop of the Gul Plaza inferno in the metropolis, which has resulted in lawmakers stressing the need for reforms in the city’s administration, particularly in local governments (LGs). Kamal, addressing a press conference today, called on the federal government to “invoke Article 148 and 149 of the Constitution, and declare Karachi as the financial capital of the country”. Article 148 of the Constitution pertains to the obligation of provinces and the federation, while Article 149 allows the federal government to issue directives to provinces in certain cases. Article 149 enables the federal government to direct provincial governments regarding the “manner in which the executive authority thereof is to be exercised for the purpose of preventing any grave menace to the peace or tranquilli...

Federal Health Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Mustafa Kamal shared key features of his party’s draft constitutional amendment, proposing the disbursement of districts’ shares through the National Finance Commission (NFC) as the provinces failed to transfer funds to local bodies. He was addressing a gathering held at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries on Monday. Kamal said regional autonomy comes when all stakeholders are empowered and autonomous decision-making powers are devolved from the chief minister to union council chairmen. He said that there is a mechanism for disbursing funds from the federal government to the provinces, but no mechanism for transferring funds from provinces to local bodies. “It’s up to a person’s will to either grant Rs1,000 billion to someone or to grant nothing to another.” He highlighted that Article 140a of the Constitution stressed the devolution of political, administrative, and financial powers to elected local representatives. “Ever...